"Tripping over my own feet" and salicylate excess.

Too funny, the quote is about a salicylate excess symptom.

When food intolerance affects mental and physical symptoms, but it is food you have eaten all of your life, then you may not realize the symptoms are negative symptoms instead of your “normal life”.

I have kind of realized that sometimes I am moving too fast or so fast that my brain doesn't seem able to keep up. Losing my cellphone in my own purse is an example. I searched the purse a few times.

“I’ve finally found it!” via Demi Pietchell, The Starfire Codes.

The first time I lost my phone that way I searched the area, returned to a store I had gone too, reported it lost at another location near where I had parked in case it had fallen in the sidewalk….moving too fast to slow down and totally dump out the purse and really search every pocket.

Beyond the Salicylate Handbook, Sharla Race, (Amazon)

“What ssems to happen now is that if a food has a concentrated amount of salicylate I react quite quickly after eating. The slow build up process I think still happens but, because of the increased alkalinity in my diet, it rarely becomes an issue. I know that sometimes I get a little too speedy or become clumsy - I call it ‘tripping over my own feet’. When I notice this is happening, I simply eat as little salicylate as possible for two to three days and that is enough to bring it under control.” - Sharla Race, Beyond the Salicylate Handbook

• Beyond the Salicylate Handbook - More Research and Information on Salicylate Sensitivity, by Sharla Race, 2021. (Amazon) This book is a follow-up to an earlier handbook which is still relevant. This is an addition with more recent research studies examining salicylate content in foods or products. The units and methods used varied enough that Sharla decided not to try to collate the new data with the older data tables of ‘Low,’ ‘Medium’, ‘High’, and ‘Very High’ salicylate food sources.

Sharla Race is a person with salicylate sensitivity, and she wrote a couple guidebooks for other people with the problem. She encouraged you to not despair as you learn which of your foods are adding to the salicylate load for you. Eventually you learn what your threshold is, a little might work, but not a full serving, or not two or three salicylate sources at the same meal or on the same day.

Herbal foot soak, Photo by Rune Enstad on Unsplash

Each person's sensitivity threshold can vary with how acidic or alkaline the person is. Salicylate won't be excreted in the urine if the urine, ~ and the body overall, is too acidic.

We also need glycine to be able to excrete salicylate and we need sulfate and to not have an overloaded sulfation system. Many substances need sulfation for detox but we also need sulfation for a strong intestinal lining.

Transsulfuration pathway and detox of salicylate, phenols and sodium benzoate type synthetic chemicals.

The sulfation pathways can get overloaded fairly easily even if there aren't also gene alleles slowing things down.

Topical route is better absorbed for sulfate.

Similar to the point I made about topical absorption of magnesium, (previous post), the body seems designed to absorb sulfate topically better than it can absorb it through the gut. Also seeming better able to tolerate small amounts of sulfate regularly rather than being overloaded by a big load.

Hydrogen sulfide can build up if the sulfur pathways gets backed up. It is toxic and deadly in excess.

Sulfate has a toxic counterpart, sulfide, which we don't want to have accumulate within us if we aren't detoxing sulfur well. Hydrogen sulfide is a deadly gas, like “Mustard gas” used in old wars. If our sulfation pathways get overloaded then salicylate might not be the only potential toxin that is accumulating.

Excess hydrogen sulfide may also be a side effect of gut dysbiosis or overgrowth (SIBO). Some negative species make hydrogen sulfide.

Uncovering SIBO Symptoms, Causes, Types, Testing, and Diagnosis, (triosmartbreath.com)

• Uncovering SIBO Symptoms, Causes, Types, Testing and Diagnosis, (triosmartbreath.com).

Acute poisoning symptoms from hydrogen sulfide can be asthma like -

Hydrogen Sylfide - Hazards, (osha.gov)

More severe symptoms or death occurs with exposure to higher concentration of the gas, maybe in an industrial or war setting, or maybe if your gut bacteria are producing hydrogen sulfide and you can’t process it well. How long, the chronic exposure level adds to the risk, a higher concentration with a longer exposure can add up to organ damage or death. (osha.gov) That doesn’t sound like a good thing for our gut to be producing.

“Hydrogen Sulfide Concentration in ppm :: Symptoms and Effects

0.00011-0.00033 — Typical background concentrations

0.01-1.5 — Odor threshold (when rotten egg smell is first noticeable to some). Odor becomes more offensive at 3-5 ppm. Above 30 ppm, odor described as sweet or sickeningly sweet.

2-5 — Prolonged exposure may cause nausea, tearing of the eyes, headaches or loss of sleep. Airway problems (bronchial constriction) in some asthma patients.

20 — Possible fatigue, loss of appetite, headache, irritability, poor memory, dizziness.

50-100 — Slight conjunctivitis ("gas eye") and respiratory tract irritation after 1 hour. May cause digestive upset and loss of appetite.

100 — Coughing, eye irritation, loss of smell after 2-15 minutes (olfactory fatigue). Altered breathing, drowsiness after 15-30 minutes. Throat irritation after 1 hour. Gradual increase in severity of symptoms over several hours. Death may occur after 48 hours.

100-150 — Loss of smell (olfactory fatigue or paralysis).

200-300 — Marked conjunctivitis and respiratory tract irritation after 1 hour. Pulmonary edema may occur from prolonged exposure.

500-700 —Staggering, collapse in 5 minutes. Serious damage to the eyes in 30 minutes. Death after 30-60 minutes.

700-1000 —Rapid unconsciousness, "knockdown" or immediate collapse within 1 to 2 breaths, breathing stops, death within minutes.

1000-2000 —Nearly instant death” — Hydrogen Sulfide - Hazards, (osha.gov).

The chagrin sets in as I realize that I am my own worst enemy. It is typical or not uncommon to crave foods that you are intolerant to (for some types of intolerances) as there can be an initial mood or energy lift, or mania. …And mania is kind of fun until you trip over your own feet and break your toe. 😦 I think I am even kind of used to mania as being a good thing that helps me get things done. But moving too fast can lead to careless over site like losing my phone in my purse...twice. *2 different purses though.

When sulfate pathways are slow, dopamine is also broken down slower so dopamine excess might be part of the fun and addictiveness.

In reading the more current research findings or additional review of research in Sharla 's book….my Wormwood tea, and the addition of Yarrow powder to my pom peel mix would have been adding salicylate to my daily intake. The pomegranate peel is also a source and some of the essential oils I have been using and Black seed oil are also providing salicylate.

I have been drinking Wormwood tea for the last couple weeks as I had seemed to have a bit of a cold or earache a month ago and I grew to like the flavor. It is supposed to be used intermittently rather than long term as it is a strong antimicrobial that might harm helpful gut microbes, but I am not sure about that.

Becoming less sensitive is the goal as salicylate rich foods are also phytonutrient and nutrient rich foods. A study that looked at total nutrient intake in a low Salicylate diet did find it to be low in overall nutrients. Sharla points out that any diet can be low in nutrients if you are eating enough variety and that is true. It gets to be a lot harder though when limiting salicylate because it is in so many herbs and spices and the perks and leaves of produce in particular but also berries, nuts and seeds.

To improve sulfation pathways I learned the goal is to not overly limit sulfate rich sources as we need it for the pathway to work and the transsulfuration pathway is part of the interconnected methylation cycles. If the transsulfuration pathway gets backed up it can also cause a bottleneck in other parts of the methylation and ATP production cycles. Since sulfate isn't absorbed well in the gut topical Epsom salt soaks can be very helpful for kids on the autism spectrum.

I had sworn by Epsom salt for that reason until this last year when I learned some of my symptoms were from excess sulfur. Staying in a bath of it too long could give me excess symptoms which includes a racing heart rate like Salicylate excess, making it a little confusing to know why you are feeling bad.

Since taking the course on special diets I have switched from Mg chloride salt flakes which can lead to too much chloride to half and half, some Mg sulfate and some MgCl. Not over soaking seems to be the big need, 20 minutes, for me to prevent the racing heart rate of sulfur excess. When a person is more magnesium deficient, they might be able to soak longer before getting excess magnesium symptoms which include a slowing of the heart rate and smooth muscles and leading to diarrhea.

Ylang ylang essential oil helps slow tachycardia, which is a scary symptom of Salicylate excess or sulfate excess.

*Ylang ylang essential oil can help slow the racing heart rate. Ylang ylang does contain some salicylate but it seems to be a type that doesn't bother me as much as the salicylate of birch or wintergreen oil. Sharla makes the point in her book that individual tolerance varies regarding the different forms of salicylates. People can be more or less sensitive to some forms than others and there are a few other similar chemicals that can add to symptoms even though they aren't officially ‘salicylates’. If this seems confusing - that is because it is confusing. People have to tune into their own symptoms and learn what they might be eating too much of.

Topical pain relieving ointments can quickly add up to excess salicylate.

The uncaring or macho attitude of “Why worry? It is just food,” is not recognizing that it is a potent natural drug found in food - salicylate toxicity can cause death from liver damage and the most frequent cause is an excess use of salicylate containing topical products. If you cover 40-70% of your body every day with a lotion rich in salicylates and maybe use some salicylate foods and painkillers than you could heading to the morgue accidentally. 😵

Blueberries are salicylate rich. Blanching and peeling almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios can greatly decrease the amount of salicylate.

Oxalate sensitivity can be the triple whammy and also is more likely when we are overly acidic instead of a bit more alkaline.

Oxalate excess has been a problem with some foods lately too. The problems can overlap as being over-acidic increases risk of both. Both sensitivities can cause gassy bloating. The salicylate is more immediate for that symptom. Oxalate excess can cause diarrhea symptoms or vomiting later on, the next morning.

Disclaimer: This information is being provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of Fair Use and is not intended to provide individual health guidance.